Chapter 135 (Complete)

Su Ruyi and Lu Ting are currently very busy. Although Su Ruyi focuses her main energy on the film and television company, she has not neglected other businesses.

After all, I've put so much effort into setting this up; I can't just wash my hands of it.

Needless to say, Lu Ting was extremely busy every day, with a constant stream of social engagements.

Therefore, if the two want to leave for the port city at the same time, they need to make arrangements in advance.

It would be much more convenient to go alone, but for something this important, it's best to go together.

It's not that Su Ruyi couldn't accomplish it alone, but since they are husband and wife, they must face important matters together.

Just like when Su Ruyi gave birth, she could manage on her own, since she had the money to hire someone to take care of her, and she also had many relatives and friends around her.

However, as a husband and father, he cannot stand aside; he must be involved throughout the entire process.

So he took time off work to take care of Su Ruyi for ten days. After that, he didn't go to work as usual and worked from home most of the time, freeing up more time to take care of Su Ruyi.

This was something the couple had discussed before deciding to have a child; they needed to be prepared to welcome a new life.

The two of them weren't short of money, so they couldn't be like poor families who had to divide the work between the man working outside and the woman working inside in order to make a living.

They earn money to enjoy life, and they can't be absent from such crucial moments. They're not in a rush to advance their careers; although they might miss many opportunities, who lives without regrets?

They already have sufficient financial resources, and as long as proper arrangements are made, the company will not collapse anytime soon.

If you can't find a balance, then there's no need to have a child.

During her pregnancy, Lu Ting would always make time to accompany her to check-ups, so that childbirth wouldn't be a solitary affair.

Lu Ting's active participation also brought him closer to the child, allowing him to better understand the difficulties of pregnancy and childbirth.

Some things are useless to talk about; you have to experience them yourself. Otherwise, it's easy to use the excuse that "everyone else has gone through this."

Going to the port city to gather information was also a very important matter for Su Ruyi.

Su Ruyi wished her father could still be alive. The better her life was, the more she regretted that her father left so early and couldn't enjoy a single day of happiness.

Whether in Su Ying's eyes, Li Mei's eyes, or the eyes of their children, he was a good husband/good father.

But if that person really is Tong Aihua, and he hasn't contacted his family in Hong Kong for so long, and even had children, it would be another blow to them.

Su Ruyi didn't know what she was thinking. She was very conflicted and wished someone would be by her side at this time.

She dared not mention this to her family, since it was all unfounded speculation without any evidence.

The Xu family of Hong Kong might have their eye on them, and giving them a little something for the sake of future plans is not necessarily a bad thing.

Su Ruyi did not intend to reveal anything before she had investigated the matter thoroughly.

Su Ruyi was worried that she would act strangely, and she was also very busy, so she didn't meet with her family for several days in a row.

It wasn't until Su Ying called that I vaguely realized this.

"No matter what happens tonight, you have to put it aside and come to my house for dinner. Remember to invite Lu Ting, you and your husband, and the kids too."

Su Ying did not live with Su Ruyi, but lived in a house in the same community.

After having children, Su Ruyi's family moved into a villa so that the children could run and jump around in the yard.

Although the rooftop of the apartment building also has a large area for children to play, according to the elders, children need to grow up close to the earth to be healthy, so they moved to the villa.

Su Ying lives in a high-rise building in the same community. Although the apartment is not very big, with an interior area of ​​over 120 square meters, the living area is particularly large. She combined two rooms into the living and dining room.

He often brought Li Mei to her home to entertain friends; the house could fit many people.

Because we live on the rooftop, the rooftop can also be used for dancing, barbecuing, and other activities.

Su Ying is a person who enjoys being around people. Before she took over Ruyi Clothing, she had a lot of free time, so she made many friends and enjoyed her retirement life.

Now that I've taken over everything, I'm much busier than before, but I haven't forgotten to enjoy life.

Su Ying understood very well that she had already worked hard enough in the past, and although she still needed to work hard now, she also needed to know how to balance work and rest.

Furthermore, most of the girlfriends she associates with are also financially well-off.

It's not that she's materialistic or snobbish, but rather that the people she lives in and frequents are mostly like that.

Su Ying rarely spoke so sternly, but Su Ruyi didn't take it seriously. Indeed, she had been too busy lately and hadn't seen her mother for many days.

Their family has an unwritten rule: no matter how busy they are with work, unless they are on a business trip, they must get together for a meal at least once a week.

Su Ruyi enjoys being with her family, so she rarely schedules work or social engagements in the evenings, which is easy for her.

Su Ruyi often went around to different places, sometimes at her own home, sometimes at Su Ying's place, and sometimes at Li Mei's house for dinner.

I was indeed negligent this week. It wasn't that I didn't have time, but I was worried that when I saw them, I wouldn't be able to help but say something.

When Lu Ting received his mother-in-law's call, he dared not delay and went to Su Ruyi's company building to pick her up early.

Seeing this, Zhao Dabao couldn't help but say enviously, "You two have been married for so many years and are still so loving."

"I'm a good person and I have good taste!" Su Ruyi laughed. "I heard you're in love? Want me to give you my opinion?"

It was Zhao Dabao's third sister who told Su Ruyi that Zhao Dabao was in love. Su Ruyi felt that something was wrong with Zhao Dabao at that time, but Zhao Dabao didn't say anything, so she didn't ask.

The Zhao family knew this from the beginning. Although they felt that Zhao Dabao was different from before and more reliable, they still cared about his activities just like before.

Su Ruyi sometimes couldn't help but feel sorry for Zhao Dabao; it was no easy feat for the child not to develop a twisted personality in such an environment.

Zhao Sanjie's purpose in finding Su Ruyi was simple: Zhao Dabao's relationship was a secret. Although the Zhao family kept a close watch on him, they knew that their child was old enough that they couldn't push him too hard, so they didn't investigate who his girlfriend was.

But if I don't pay any attention, I'll feel uneasy, so I asked Su Ruyi to keep a close eye on things.

Zhao Dabao had been deceived before. Losing the money was a small matter; the child was heartbroken for a long time after realizing he had been cheated.

It was thanks to the Zhao family's timely intervention that things turned out this way; otherwise, if their relationship had deepened further, the Zhao family couldn't be sure what would have happened to Zhao Dabao.

Zhao Dabao is an extremely sentimental person, which is why he was so reluctant to part with those fair-weather friends.

It's not that he enjoys having fun, but that he can't bear to part with his friends; he's very naive when it comes to relationships.

Now that Zhao Dabao is in the entertainment industry, the people in the world of fame and fortune are even more complicated, which makes the Zhao family even more worried.

Although Su Ruyi agreed, she did not deliberately intervene.

Zhao Dabao was clearly very wary this time, and hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not even to his confidante Su Ruyi.

Su Ruyi felt that the more things were like this, the less she should interfere, lest he get even more carried away.

The Zhao family probably thought the same way, so they all remained inactive.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dabao couldn't help but laugh and scratch his head: "Sis, I've really noticed a girl working quite hard lately. Could you take a look at her later?"

Su Ruyi chuckled: "What do you mean by 'quite hardworking'?"

"Although she came from a poor family, she was very hardworking and didn't want to rely on others."

Su Ruyi's lips twitched. Why did this script feel so familiar?

Not knowing the situation or how to make a judgment, she calmly picked out a script from the pile of scripts.

Originally, she did not intend to entrust this project to Zhao Dabao. The company has now recruited a lot of talent, and Su Ruyi wanted to hand it over to another ace producer.

That woman is a producer. Although she entered the industry relatively late, her abilities are now comparable to Zhao Dabao's; she is extremely capable.

This project is quite interesting; it's an unconventional urban romantic comedy. It's based on the common Cinderella-type romance dramas, but the main plot is somewhat similar to a short, anti-domineering CEO type drama.

The investment wasn't large, but it was a new attempt.

Su Ruyi felt that this notebook was very suitable for Zhao Dabao in his current state.

Regardless of the girl's situation, Zhao Dabao should be taught a lesson.

There are too many messy things in this circle. Every night, Su Ruyi has new tidbits to share with Lu Ting, and there is a constant stream of gossip every day.

Su Ruyi herself encountered quite a few men, and even women, who tried to climb the social ladder by associating with her.

Lu Ting's side was no less formidable; many people wanted to set traps for him, and quite a few around him fell for them.

The two of them shared their gossip together, not only to gossip, but also to learn from experience, which they must be wary of.

Some scams are so sophisticated that they don't just involve seduction or financial incentives; they also involve secretly adding substances to the food and other items you use, making them virtually impossible to guard against.

In his business dealings, Lu Ting encountered business partners who were cheated in this way, and then became addicted to it, constantly being led around by others.

Su Ruyi has increased protection for her artists, never allowing them to participate in frivolous social events, and raising the salaries of their assistants to ensure they keep a close eye on them.

If Zhao Dabao hadn't had an assistant from the Zhao family following him, he would have been tricked countless times.

Su Ruyi and Lu Ting took the child to Su Ying's house; everyone else was already there.

Wang Huizhen and her family of three also arrived. Although she got married later than Su Ruyi, she had her child earlier, so her child was already five years old. When she saw Su Ruyi's daughter, she immediately came over and played with her younger sister.

Su Ying set up a special place for the children to play, and the two children often came here, so they were very familiar with it.

Once everyone had arrived, Su Ying immediately started serving the dishes. Only after everyone had finished eating did she explain why she had invited them over.

"You should have noticed during this time that our cooperation with Hong Kong is unusual."

Su Ruyi and Lu Ting exchanged a glance.

She should have realized it sooner; if she could sense something was amiss, Su Ying would too.

Li Mei frowned: "Sister Ying, is someone setting us up?"

Having been in business for so many years, Li Mei has encountered many similar situations.

They used to handle things with ease, but now that they've encountered such a large amount of capital, can they get through it smoothly?

"This is what I'm going to tell you next: people from Hong Kong have arrived."

Su Ying paused, glanced at everyone present, and focused on Su Ruyi and Tong Yunyun.

Tong Yunyun is now an adult and a young woman.

She just got into university this year and is dressing like a tomboy again. But this time it's not because of what others think, but because she feels more comfortable and at ease this way.

Su Ruyi's heart skipped a beat as Lu Ting grasped her hand.

“You all know this person, he is Tong Aihua, your father.” Su Ying then looked at Li Mei, “your ex-husband.”

This news stunned everyone.

Tong Yunyun: "Didn't my dad die a long time ago?"

“He didn’t die. The situation was complicated at the time, and he will explain it to you himself later. I’m telling you in advance so that you can be mentally prepared.”

This news was indeed unexpected and left people stunned for a long time.

Su Ruyi looked at Li Mei, who was very calm. It seemed that her mother had informed her in advance.

Li Mei currently has a boyfriend who is a university professor. Their relationship is very stable, but they have no plans to get married.

Everyone agrees with this; older people also have their own emotional lives, and Li Mei is not that old now.

Li Mei was not greatly shocked by her ex-husband's miraculous return to life.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, I saw that familiar face.

Su Ruyi's impression of Tong Aihua was already very vague. After all, Tong Aihua left when she was very young, and she had never been able to meet him since. She could only see his photos.

The man before me was not much different from the last photo he sent; he was still as handsome and tall as ever, as if time had left no trace on his face, though his demeanor had become more composed and refined.

Su Ruyi had always known that her father was good-looking, at the peak of his natural beauty, but seeing him in person now was even more shocking.

No wonder he caught the eye of a wealthy woman; seeing his appearance made it all clear. Although he's fifty years old this year, he looks like he's in his thirties.

Upon seeing Su Ruyi and Tong Yunyun, Tong Aihua's eyes immediately welled up with tears. "They've both grown so much!"

Su Ruyi's tears fell without her noticing. Her mind went blank, and she blurted out, "Dad!"

The touching moment quickly passed, and everyone stared at Tong Aihua, wanting to know where he had been all these years.

It doesn't matter much to others, but for Tong Yunyun and Li Mei, Tong Aihua's experiences over the years are particularly important.

If it weren't for Su Ying and Su Ruyi, their lives would have been unpredictable.

Although Li Mei had come to terms with it, she still wanted an answer.

Tong Aihua slowly recounted his experience, explaining that at the time, he didn't not want to go back, but rather he was afraid to.

That robbery was premeditated; it was a conspiracy between factory workers and outsiders who wanted to steal the more than 200,000 yuan.

The reason why Tong Aihua, the accountant, was assigned to collect the debts was also part of the plan.

The factory has a lot of bad debts, and Tong Aihua knows them better than anyone. As long as he's gone, they can get away with it.

Tong Aihua knew very well what this money meant to the furniture factory, and he refused to give it to the robbers no matter what. Moreover, with this money, he could go back; otherwise, things would get complicated, and those people would put all the blame on him.

Hearing this, Li Mei finally understood why the factory had acted that way when the accident happened.

If it weren't for Su Ying, let alone compensation, they might have been held responsible.

"I had no other choice at the time, so I jumped into the river with the money in my arms."

Tong Aihua was prepared to die. If the person was still alive, she could use the money to explain everything. If the person was gone, the light would go out and the family would not be harmed.

Tong Aihua was incredibly lucky; she drifted a great distance without incident and was eventually rescued.

The person was saved, but the money disappeared.

Tong Aihua didn't dare go back, fearing he wouldn't be able to explain himself clearly. Moreover, even when he wanted to go back later, he couldn't.

Tong Aihua was penniless at the time and had wandered far away, so she thought she would earn some money before going back.

"Why didn't you think of calling the police back then?" Tong Yunyun couldn't help but ask.

She applied to the Public Security University, so her first thought was why Tong Aihua didn't ask the police for help.

Tong Aihua said awkwardly, "I didn't think of it at the time, and I didn't want to trouble anyone. I was just thinking about making money so I could go home."

At that time, there happened to be a job opening with good pay, so he was very tempted and applied.

As it turned out, the so-called recruitment was actually taking people to illegal coal mines.

Tong Aihua, quick-witted, realized something was wrong and escaped midway. He randomly jumped onto a train, which ended up taking him south.

Then, through a series of coincidences, Tong Aihua smuggled herself to Hong Kong with others.

He had worked in the south for a while and was even more aware of the gap between the mainland and Hong Kong. He longed for the prosperity there and wanted to make a lot of money to take home, just like some other people.

Therefore, he gave all his savings to the snakehead and made the perilous journey.

What followed was his legendary decade, during which he unexpectedly saved Miss Xu, who had been framed and pushed into the sea, while working illegally.

His rise to power was exactly as Lu Ting had learned. However, what the outside world didn't know was that although Tong Aihua and Miss Xu were not married and had no official status, Miss Xu trusted him a lot, and he had a certain amount of influence in the company.

Tong Aihua is not only good-looking, but also very smart and eager to learn. With an accounting background, he is extremely sensitive to numbers and has been assisting Miss Xu in managing the entire Xu family business.

Su Ruyi couldn't help but sigh. She had always felt that her father had the air of Daji, and now this only confirmed it.

Although Tong Aihua was good-looking, Miss Xu had seen all sorts of people; how could she be easily captivated by appearances? While Tong Aihua looked young, her age was undeniable, and she was certainly not the same as a young man.

"When I returned, I wanted to go home and visit. But things weren't going smoothly at the Xu family's place, so I kept putting it off until now."

Tong Aihua did not elaborate on the Xu family's situation, but one could roughly guess a thing or two from the few words she spoke.

Miss Xu trusts Tong Aihua not because of her beauty, but because of the things she does.

Although Tong Aihua treated Li Mei and Su Ying differently, he fulfilled his responsibilities in both cases, and did more than other men.

He provides both emotional value and practical labor.

It's just that it's adjusted according to the different needs of different people.

Such qualities would also be beneficial to Miss Xu. Tong Aihua is also extremely trustworthy; while he wants to gain the understanding of Su Ruyi and her group, he hasn't revealed anything about the Xu family.

His evaluation of Miss Xu was always positive; he would not deliberately smear her in order to gain forgiveness and prove that he was forced into this situation.

Just like when he spoke of Su Ying in front of Li Mei, even though they had separated, he still affirmed the goodness of the other.

Not only did she not make Li Mei jealous, but she also made Li Mei develop a good impression of Su Ying. This is Tong Aihua's skill.

After things stabilized at the Xu family's place, Tong Aihua arrived. Before returning, Miss Xu generously offered many benefits to Tong Aihua's ex-wife and daughters.

Seeing that Su Ruyi and her group did not accept the invitation but instead cautiously declined, Miss Xu appreciated them even more.

She likes intelligent people who are not greedy.

From the very beginning, Miss Xu knew about Tong Aihua's past, and Tong Aihua did not hide anything from her.

Miss Xu did not stop Tong Aihua from helping his wife and daughter; if he did not miss them at all, she would be even more wary.

The Xu family has kept a low profile in recent years, but in reality, there have been constant internal conflicts. The three children have been kidnapped several times in a planned manner, although all of them failed in the end, which is enough to give us a glimpse into their situation.

For these reasons, Tong Aihua has not contacted her family in mainland China.

But he never expected that Su Ruyi would be so capable, single-handedly leading the whole family to success.

However, seeing that they were doing well, he was even less in a hurry to contact them.

Tong Aihua looked at Li Mei with remorse: "I left you for someone else before I even divorced you. I'm sorry."

He didn't make any excuses; he simply couldn't resist the temptation and betrayed Li Mei.

So many years have passed, and Li Mei has come to terms with it. Besides, given the circumstances at the time, no one thought she could come back. Marrying a rich girl would definitely be the best option.

"You've had it tough too," Li Mei sighed.

Although Tong Aihua looks young, a closer look reveals the weariness in her eyes.

Tong Aihua didn't know that Su Ying and Su Ruyi were so capable of resolving so many issues, so he didn't dare to come back at the time, as he couldn't prove his innocence.

Li Mei is more open-minded now than before. The longer she spends with Su Ying, the more magnanimous she becomes, and she cherishes what she has now even more.

Tong Yunyun harbored no resentment towards her father, who had come back from the dead.

Although losing her father over the years is an irreparable regret, the abundance of love around her makes her not feel pitiful.

However, as a future police officer, Tong Yunyun said, "This matter must be thoroughly investigated! Arrest those bad guys!"

Li Mei rolled her eyes at her: "You forgot, a lot of people were arrested at the furniture factory before, and those people are still inside."

Tong Yunyun then remembered that when the furniture factory went bankrupt, the management embezzled the money, and the workers received pitifully small severance packages. This led to a series of events, with someone filing a formal complaint, which eventually uncovered the corruption and imprisoned a group of corrupt officials.

That case was brought up back then, and some of the people involved are now buried with grass on their graves.

Tong Yunyun was still young at the time, and only heard the adults mention it briefly before forgetting about it.

Since moving to the provincial capital, her family had rarely returned home and knew little about what was happening in the county. Li Mei only found out by cooperating with the investigation and didn't tell Tong Yunyun much about it.

Tong Dahua wiped away her tears and asked, "When are you coming home?"

Tong Aihua shook her head: "Let's not upset the old folks anymore. The pension is my parents' retirement fund. I'll still be focusing on Hong Kong from now on, and I won't be able to come back for long, so I don't want them to worry about not seeing their son."

They said it nicely, but in reality they just didn't want to acknowledge the Tong family anymore.

Over the years, the Tong family has tried to take advantage of the situation quite a bit, but Su Ying has always managed to thwart their attempts.

Su Ying used to be the women's director and handled these kinds of things with ease.

Tong Dahua was also controlled by her husband and daughters, and was heartbroken, so she didn't pay much attention to them, only giving them money to support the elderly as usual.

Tong Dahua sighed, but didn't say anything.

When Su Ruyi left, the child was already asleep, nestled on Lu Ting's shoulder, her little face puffed out adorably.

"My dad is really amazing," Su Ruyi couldn't help but exclaim.

Lu Ting immediately knew what she was talking about. The reason why Miss Xu relied on Tong Aihua so much was not only because he was indeed capable and reliable, but also because he was the father of her three children.

Miss Xu desperately wanted a child but had no luck. How come this good fortune fell to Tong Aihua? He must be the chosen one.

Lu Ting thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps it's because his status is unworthy that people are less vigilant?"

Su Ruyi's eyes sharpened. "You mean..."

Lu Ting nodded: "Miss Xu's ex-husband has never had any children. He used to have one, but it was recently discovered that it wasn't his."

So many people hoped that Miss Xu wouldn't be able to conceive, so they inevitably tried to sabotage her behind her back. And who would have thought that Miss Xu would fall for an older man who was also an illegal immigrant from mainland China?

Su Ruyi felt they had figured out the truth!

Su Ruyi sighed, "My dad has always managed to find work with women wherever he goes in his life."

—The End—

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Author's Note: It's finished! Hooray! Thank you everyone for your support along the way!

My new novel is now available for pre-order! My next story is a farming, food, and business simulation novel set in ancient times, depicting everyday life in the city. The current title is tentatively set as "The Great Song Dynasty's Small Eatery." The synopsis and title may change when the story begins, but they'll likely remain largely the same. You can find the details by clicking on the author's name. I hope you'll all read it! Mwah!